


Rediscovering Affection

by orphan_account



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-10-27
Updated: 2000-10-27
Packaged: 2019-05-15 12:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14790417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: CJ and Toby discover they are having problems communicating, and seek to rectify the situation.





	Rediscovering Affection

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Disclaimers: The West Wing and it's characters are the property of Aaron Sorkin, Warner Brothers and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended. The song "Let's Make Love" is the property of Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and their respective record labels. No copyright infringement is intended.

Rating: PG-13

Summary: CJ and Toby discover they are having problems communicating, and seek to rectify the situation. (Sequel to Second Chances.)

Author's Note: This takes place about nine months after the end of the Bartlet Administration.

 

CJ turned her chair so she was looking out her office window. The new office was taking some getting used to. But after eight years in the same office it was to be expected. The Bartlet Administration had ended nearly a year before, and CJ was still having trouble adjusting to the private sector. She had taken a job in the Communications department at Georgetown University, which she had started at the beginning of the fall semester. She was still adjusting to the changes in her life. She looked at the clock, and saw that her office hours were over. She packed up her stuff to go home. She walked down the hallway and then knocked on a partially closed door.

"Come in."

"Hey." CJ said as she walked into Toby's office. Unlike her office it was on an interior wall and did not have any windows. "Don't you ever get claustrophobic in here?"

"No."

"Okay, I'm going home. Do you want me to pick up Meghan and Jonathan?"

"Yeah go ahead."

"Okay. What time will you be home?"

"I don't really know."

"Okay." CJ said and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mommy?" Meghan asked.

"What sweetheart?" CJ replied.

"When is Daddy coming home?"

"He'll be home soon." CJ replied.

"Okay." Meghan said and hugged CJ. "I love you Mommy."

"I love you too sweetheart."

CJ watched Meghan leave the room. Meghan was definitely Daddy's little girl. They were so close. And then there was Jonathan, who seemed to be closer to CJ. It was really quite funny in a way.

Things had not really been good between CJ and Toby the last couple of months. It was not that they were fighting or anything. It was just that they were not communicating as well with each other than they had been. It was ironic they taught others how to communicate everyday, but were starting to fail miserably in their personal communications.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Toby was putting his things into his briefcase when a photo on his desk caught his attention. He picked it up, and looked at it. It had been taken almost a year ago, CJ was holding Jonathan on the day they had brought him home from the hospital. There was another on the desk of CJ holding Jonathan on the day he started to walk. Toby had actually seen Jonathan take his first steps, unlike Meghan. The state of his relationship with CJ was bothering him. It was ironic, things had been much easier for them when they were working in the White House.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Daddy!" Meghan cried when Toby came through the door.

"How's my girl today?" Toby asked as he picked her up.

"Fine." Meghan answered.

"Where's Mommy and Jonathan?"

"In Jonathan's room. He just woke up from his nap."

"And did you take a nap today?"

"At daycare."

"Okay."

CJ walked back into the room with Jonathan just then. Jonathan sat down on the couch next to his father and his sister. CJ went into the kitchen to start fixing dinner. After a minute, Toby went to see if there was anything he could help her with.

"Do you need any help?" He asked.

"No, I think I have it under control." She replied. "I'm a little tired so I thought I would just fix some spaghetti."

"Do you want me to fix a salad or some bread?" Toby asked.

"No, I've got everything thing." CJ said.

"Okay."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, Toby was reading when CJ came to bed. She pulled down the covers on her side of the bed and sat down. She leaned over and kissed his lips lightly. "I love you." She said.

"I love you too." Toby said as she laid down. Seeing that she was turning away from him, he asked, "do you want me to turn the light off so you can sleep?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Okay."

CJ closed her eyes. She missed the way Toby had always held her while she was sleeping. It had been awhile since he had done that. She also missed the way he would kiss her softly until she would wake up in the mornings. Usually she would wake up when the alarm clock went off, but she would pretend to be asleep so he would kiss her.

Toby watched her for a minute before turning off the light. He knew that was what she wanted him to do, but she would never admit to it. He reached over and turned off the light, and then laid down beside her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When CJ woke up the next morning the first thing she noticed was that Toby had his arms wrapped tightly around her. She guessed that he had done that in his sleep. She really didn't care when or why he had done it, she was just glad he had. Sighing, she laid her head against his shoulder.

"Good morning." He whispered.

"Good morning I didn't realize you were awake."

"I noticed."

Laughing she turned her until she was facing him. He leaned close to her and kissed her. She brought her hand against his cheek and kissed him back.

"What time is it?" She asked after a moment.

"Seven-thirty."

"I should probably get up and start getting the kids ready." CJ said sitting up.

"Wait." Toby said.

"What?" CJ asked as he moved her hair back from her neck and started to kiss her neck.

"I love you." Toby said.

"I love you too." CJ said and then got up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing Toby did when he got to his office was call Josh.

"Good morning." Toby said when Josh picked up his phone.

"Hey, Toby. What can I do for you?" Josh asked. "Oh, and how are CJ and the kids?"

"They are fine. And I have favor to ask of you." Toby said.

"You have a favor to ask of me?"

"Yes, would you please not make this any harder than it has to be."

"Okay, what do you need?"

"Could you and Donna watch Meghan and Jonathan tomorrow night?"

"Yeah sure, why?"

"Let's just say I think CJ and I need some time to ourselves."

"Okay, we'll watch them."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Josh said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When CJ checked her mail that afternoon she found the usual things, papers from students, book offers, a desk copy of a book she was thinking of using the next semester. The last thing she found was an envelope which had her name written on it, in Toby's handwriting. She waited until she was back in her office to open it. She found an invitation which read:

You are cordially invited to a romantic dinner tomorrow night with your husband.

Time: 8 PM

Place: Our apartment

Formal wear is required.

After reading it, she couldn't help but wonder what he was up to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day passed quickly for both CJ and Toby. Josh and Donna came around six-thirty to pick up Meghan and Jonathan. After they left, CJ went to change. CJ had picked out a black dress which she knew Toby liked.

"You look beautiful." Toby told her when she came back into the living room.

"Thank you. I have a date tonight." She laughed.

"With who?"

"My husband."

"Really? He is a lucky man." Toby said.

"No, I'm the lucky one." CJ replied.

"Why?"

"Because he thought of doing this for me."

"Do you know why he thought of this?"

"Why?"

"Because he loves you, and he hasn't been showing that to you lately."

"I haven't exactly been showing that to him either."

"Then we both have something to make up for." Toby said.

"Yes we do." CJ said this before he started to kiss her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After they had eaten, Toby asked her to dance. They danced in silence for several minutes, just enjoying being back in each other's arms. CJ laid her head against Toby's shoulder, and he kissed the top of her head. As the music changed he pulled her closer to him. As she recognized the music she tightened her arms around him, and looked at him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

Baby I've been drifting away And dreaming all day Of holding you, touching you The only thing I wanna do is be with you As close to you as I can be

"You're giving me some ideas here." CJ teased.

"Really? Maybe that was the whole idea." Toby said.

"I should hope so." CJ said.

Do you know what you do to me Everything inside of me Is wanting you, and needing you I'm so in love with you Look in my eyes Let's get lost tonight In each other

As the song continued they stopped dancing and just held each other close. After a moment they started to kiss passionately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Later, Toby held CJ as she slept. He had watched her sleep many times before, but for some reason he couldn't quite grasp this time was more special than most of the others. He felt her move a little bit, and started to rub her back to calm her. He then smoothed the hair back from her forehead, kissed her, and closed his eyes.

The end.

 

 


End file.
